Lawrence O’Donnell: Bible At Inauguration Is One Of ‘Most Absurdest Traditions’

Lawrence O’Donnell: Bible At Inauguration Is One Of ‘Most Absurdest Traditions’ (VIDEO)

Posted: 01/11/2013 12:09 pm EST

Lawrence O’Donnell has a recommendation for President Obama on Inauguration Day: get rid of the Bible.

On Thursday, the MSNBC host reacted to news that Louie Giglio — the pastor selected to deliver the benediction at Obama’s inauguration — had withdrawn from the ceremony over an anti-gay sermon he gave in the 1990s. O’Donnell said that Giglio had been “quoting the Bible,” and that “homosexuality is a sin in the Bible.”

He guffawed at the White House statement about its search for Giglio’s replacement. “In other words, we will ensure that whoever delivers the benediction rejects the same parts of the Bible that President Obama rejects and most Democrats reject, even though every word of the Bible is the word of God,’ O’Donnell said.

‘As I’ve pointed out… no one accepts all of the teachings of the Bible,” he continued. “Still, the president, following one of our most absurdest traditions in the government that invented the separation of church and state, will put his hand on this book filled with things he does not believe — filled with things that no one in the United States of America believes — and with his hand on this book he will recite the oath of office.”

He suggested an alternative to Obama: swearing in on one of his daughters. “Now, wouldn’t it be better if the president’s hand was on the shoulder of one of his daughters, suggesting that he was honoring the oath of office as much as he honors Sasha and Malia?” O’Donnell asked.

PS: Swearing an oath is actually against the Biblical teaching. It is a tradition we got from the Olympian worshiping Greeks who passed it down to the Romans where the oath taker swore on his life that he would honor his oath lest Zeus strike him down with a thunderbolt - which is why the hand is raised up in the sky so the thunderbolt can hit it like a lightning rod. I swear, by Zeus, that is the origin of this oath tradition.

To me, the use of the Bible in civil ceremonies is harmless, albeit silly. But even if I did really want to get rid of the Bible in these ceremonies, there’s no way that Obama is going to do it. Only Nixon could go to China, and a president as polarizing as Obama could not end this outdated practice. He already has to deal with enough accusations of being a socialist or a Muslim or non-Christian in some other way.

I don’t find the idea absurd at all. Unnecessary in these days - yes. Absurd - no.

Tradition dies hard, and it was not that many generations ago when all one had to go on was a person’s oath, and that oath only meant something if the person speaking it believed it too.

And, O’Donnell is wrong about “the government that invented the separation of church and state” - the concept as understood by the founding fathers was rooted in a Protestant doctrine that began as an anti-Papal sentiment.

the concept as understood by the founding fathers was rooted in a Protestant doctrine that began as an anti-Papal sentiment.

Nonsense. Protestants did not invent the separation of church and state as part of some anti-papal sentiment. See Calvinist ruled city states, or Lutheran Germany where papal authority was just replaced with Protestant authority (and Luther endorsed persecution of emerging Christian sects like anti-baptists).

It IS absurd ….leave it alone , it’s not harming anyone , and after all it is the President takingv the oath and no one else . And why incite when there is no real good reason to . Atheists do not like being put upon , so let them accept that matters of faith are a two way street . It’s no skin of their nose .
I believe Gays would have less of a problem if they didn’t have raucus parades with men dressed in drag and suggestive lingerie . The suggestion lacks common sense , similar to what the Orangemen in Ireland do every year , to parade through the neighborhood of their hated rivals putting it in their face . Does anyone expect anything besides an avoidable conflict ?

the concept as understood by the founding fathers was rooted in a Protestant doctrine that began as an anti-Papal sentiment.

Nonsense. Protestants did not invent the separation of church and state as part of some anti-papal sentiment. See Calvinist ruled city states, or Lutheran Germany where papal authority was just replaced with Protestant authority (and Luther endorsed persecution of emerging Christian sects like anti-baptists).

The American Founders lived 200 years after Luther and Calvin, and they derived their separation ideas from Protestant doctrines that had been originally formulated to counter the secular influence the Catholic Church often had in Continental Europe. The ideas were altered, though, by the desire of the Founders to ensure religious tolerance and thus avoid bloody acts of religious violence such as the Gordon Riots. So in this case separation was ‘rooted in older anti-Catholic ideas, but it grew beyond them.

re#7 Jim D
I don’t think you’re sure of anything . If you can tell me having gays parading down the street in parades , overexposed , exploiting their sexual preference , does not have a negative effect , then you’re an idiot . I wouldn’t think heterosexuals doing the same are any different . Unfortunately zealous [stupid ] people seem to find it necessarry to put their shit in someone elses face .
You can go fuck -off you ignorant asshole .

I don’t find the idea absurd at all. Unnecessary in these days - yes. Absurd - no.

Tradition dies hard, and it was not that many generations ago when all one had to go on was a person’s oath, and that oath only meant something if the person speaking it believed it too.

And, O’Donnell is wrong about “the government that invented the separation of church and state” - the concept as understood by the founding fathers was rooted in a Protestant doctrine that began as an anti-Papal sentiment.

The absurdity comes from swearing an oath on a book you in public state is wrong on issues like women’s rights and gay people.

Much ado over nothing , speaking of absurdities , take our own Constitution ,and Declaration of Independence , stating all men are created equal while holding slaves and retaining slavery as an institution . Swearing an oath to a commonly accepted[ at that time ] Higher Source ,was a tradition and formality to express the gravity of lieing before the Court , which most likely finds it’s origins in the ten commandnents and the code of Hamurabi regarding false witness . It was commonly assumed that all men belived in a god of one sort or another regardless of religious stripe , even the Masons, of which most of the leading founding fathers were , believed in a singular God . Seperation of churvch and state originated from persecution in England against anyone who wasn’t Anglican Christian . Swearing by Zeus , is STIOLL swearing by a Diety . O’Donnel and everyone else would be best served if O’Donell just kept his mouth shut on the subject .Taking the oath simply means you will not lie , NOT under penalty of any god , but by a charge of perjury by which the COURT will punish you . There are hundreds of thinks if not thousands , besides gays and womens rights , that many people would not find agreeable , in the case of an oath we are talking soley about lieing , not subscribing to any particular dogma .

Oh , and then no one will see them right ? I guess you dont know what the word public means . ” Pride Parades ” ? Maybe on Columbus Day , the italians should come out in G-strings and Jock straps .
Dumb Moron .

It IS absurd ….leave it alone , it’s not harming anyone , and after all it is the President takingv the oath and no one else . And why incite when there is no real good reason to . Atheists do not like being put upon , so let them accept that matters of faith are a two way street . It’s no skin of their nose .
I believe Gays would have less of a problem if they didn’t have raucus parades with men dressed in drag and suggestive lingerie . The suggestion lacks common sense , similar to what the Orangemen in Ireland do every year , to parade through the neighborhood of their hated rivals putting it in their face . Does anyone expect anything besides an avoidable conflict ?

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